QS Scramble
Reviews Summary C+VG Issue 11 This version of Scramble proves that you don't need sophisticated graphics to produce an enjoyable arcade game replica. The missiles here are capital "A"s fired up in a looping flight from the hillsides and valleys. The alien planes are made up of "less than" signs arrowing their way through the skies and the fuel tanks are grey smudges dotted along the landscape But for sheer compulsion it is going to be hard to beat this game. You play the part of a aircraft armed with bombs and guns, on a mission over enemy territory. The screen scrolls from left to right, forcing you forwards but allowing you to alter altitude above the crags and chasms of the landscape. Fuel tanks and missiles can be blown up to score points, either by dropping to their level and firing out ahead of you. or by sending looping bombs over the hills to drop down on them. The missiles periodically take-off and it is advisable to try and destroy them before you have to pass over them or retreat to the top of the screen where they are less likely to surprise you. But the greatest danger is posed by the enemy airborne fleet which descends from the heavens in groups of up to four, spitting fire and rising and falling in flight as they search for you. The tactics are pretty obvious but the race to beat a friend's high score is thrilling. It has all the addictive ingredients of being a game simple enough to make you believe you can always do better, so you never finish satisfied with your performance. Quicksilva have already won themselves a good reputation for producing good arcade replicas within the limitations of the ZX81, this cassette will further that reputation. It costs £4.95 from Southampton-based QS and runs on a ZX81 with 16K Rampack. * Getting started 9. * Value 8. * Playability 8. Popular Computing Weekly Issue 22 Writer: TB At any ZX fair a certain amount of indifference toward humankind is called for when moving from stand to stand. The Quicksilva stand always attracts impenetrable crowds. Their stand is justly popular their software and hardware is always first class. Scramble, their new release, follows the QS tradition of concentrating on the classic arcade games. The game has the same feel as QS's well-known Defender - your spaceship cruises above a changing mountainous landscape, shooting at aliens swooping down from space, and rockets being fired from the ground. In addition, you may drop bombs on the fuel dumps scattered among the mountains. Points, of course, are scored for all of these operations. With the aid of a little insert card, you may change several of the parameters to give a personalised game. You will want to make the game harder after playing a couple of times, as the basic one soon becomes too easy. The package displays the usual high-quality artwork and the cassette itself is neatly printed with the title of the program. The tape contains, as is usual QS practice, software for the QS character and sound generators. Summary "Amazing", "fantastic", and other original observations from neighbouring arcade game fans were enough to convince me that Quicksilva have another worthy addition to their small but select range. Category:ZX81 Games Category:Quicksilva Category:C+VG Reviews Category:Popular Computing Weekly Reviews Category:Your Computer Reviews